extreme couponing - how do they get their coupons?

[disney_5]

I just saw one of the women featured on the tlc show on another tv show. They showed her clipping coupons but did not explain where she got so many coupons from in the first place. Where I live each sunday paper costs $3.25I was wondering if anyone knows where people like this get their coupons from? In this case they were not the kind you print from the internet but she still had a lot more than I get in my sunday paper. They can't be buying tons of newspapers because then they would not save nearly as much with the coupons. Am I missing somethng? Are there other sources of coupons that I don't know about?

Jen.

 

[ah1126]

A lot of the people on the show will get their inserts out of dumpsters. You can also order inserts online from clipping companies.

 

[NYCDiane]

There are many ways they get them:

Dumpster diving (in paper recycling dumpsters)

Friends/Family

Buying multiple Sunday papers

Buying from clipping services or ebay

----------------------------------------------------

Extreme Couponing is really misleading. If you pay attention to how much time is involved, how much money they spend on clipping services, newspapers, ink (for computer coupons), etc, they're really not saving as much as it seems. Also, look at what they're buying: 60 mustards? 100 bags of rice? 150 vitamin waters? 100 candy bars? Ridiculous.

I'm happy to save $50-$60 (sometimes more) when I shop. I get my coupons from the Coupon Train (see thread in this forum) and the Sunday paper. If I get the early edition and know there are many good coupons I'll use, I buy more than one paper.

 

[lobsterkmd]

I have a friend that works at a convenient store and pulls out all the coupons from the Papers Sunday night before he closes- because Monday morning- the paper company comes and just throws away or hopefully recycles the remaining copies. He usually gives me the coupons- and then I just pass them around at work.

 

[Marionnette]

I just saw one of the women featured on the tlc show on another tv show. They showed her clipping coupons but did not explain where she got so many coupons from in the first place. Where I live each sunday paper costs $3.25I was wondering if anyone knows where people like this get their coupons from? In this case they were not the kind you print from the internet but she still had a lot more than I get in my sunday paper. They can't be buying tons of newspapers because then they would not save nearly as much with the coupons. Am I missing somethng? Are there other sources of coupons that I don't know about?

Jen.

What they have admitted to doing:

• Taking newspapers from the driveways of empty homes.
• Collecting them from neighbors and friends.
• Dumpster diving for discarded papers.
• Getting multiple Sunday papers.
• Getting additional inserts from "friendly" delivery people.
• Ordering coupons from clipping services or ebay.

What some seem to be doing but there has been no mention of this on the show:

• Taking entire tearpads of coupons from store displays.
• Trading coupons that they don't need/want for coupons that they do.
• Removing the "peelies" from products on the store shelves.
• Emptying the "blinky" dispenser near the product in the store.

There are cheap ways to print coupons at home but you are usually limited to 2 prints per computer. Some of those couponers have 3 or 4 computers for printing coupons. Paper can be had for almost nothing if you take advantage of Staple's rewards coupons because they come out with a free ream or $10 off a $10+ purchase coupons on a regular basis. And it's not hard to find free ink refills at Walgreen's.

People who get into couponing can build up a catalog of useful coupons within a matter of months. Once you know where to look, how to acquire them and the best way to sort them, you can really do well at the store.

And those extreme couponers? If you've ever watched a marathon of the program, every last one of them is making their largest extreme shopping trip ever when they film the show. Most extreme couponers don't make such massive trips and do not regularly save the astounding amount you see on TV.

 

[disneyofcourse]

Well for two weeks someone stole my coupons out of the Sunday paper until one day I waited for them and said something. It stopped. That's one way to get them lol.

 

[lobsterkmd]

Well for two weeks someone stole my coupons out of the Sunday paper until one day I waited for them and said something. It stopped. That's one way to get them lol.

This is horrible!! I hate how some people are THAT rude, and to all those crazy coupon-ing people- that are just abusing the system- get a life!! After you are done stock-piling we can feature you on this other reality show called Hoarders...

 

[happygirl]

A lot of people print coupons off from website

 

[java]

Our library has a coupon box I just noticed this week. People just dump their inserts into it and you can take what you want. I grabbed one insert that had a specific coupon I wanted. I could have taken 10 of them. But that's not my style.

 

[S. C.]

Before buying your Sunday paper always check to make sure the coupons are there. I've been burned more than once from not checking. People do steal them from the papers.

 

[hereyago]

Well for two weeks someone stole my coupons out of the Sunday paper until one day I waited for them and said something. It stopped. That's one way to get them lol.

First: people who steal like that suck.
Second: You should have videotaped it when you gave the person the old Shock and Awe of surprising them, put it on youtube. there are actual videos of this same thing on there. It had to be have hilarious the expression on their face.

 

[thomas998]

They also write companies in order to get the coupons. When I've seen some of those shows following a person they have coupons for free items... the only time I have ever gotten a free coupon has been when I was in business school and Johnson and Johnson did on campus interviews and handed out goodie bags filled with coupons, or when I wrote a letter to complain to a company for some stale cookies the company sent me some coupons for free cookies.... Now since I haven't noticed them following grad student on those programs I have to imagine that the spend a lot of time writing complaining letters to various manufacturers.

 

[Crystal824]

My daycare has a similar box. I've noticied it and put coupons in but never taken the time to dig through it.

 

[daemom]

A neighbor was stealing the coupons out of our paper (and another neighbor's paper) every Sunday. That early bird DID catch the worm! Other neighbor confronted him very early one Sunday morning--he was so shocked he was speechless. His wife later brought goodie bags to us claiming she didn't know her husband was stealing the coupons. Did she think that she hit the lucky lottery every Sunday and got THREE of EVERY coupon?

 

[karice2]

I can buy newspapers at our local farmers market for $.25. They also sell them on the side of the road for $1. If I am lazy then I get them from the guy on the side of the road.

If I got to the farmer's market, I just get 4 for $1.

All that cutting is a pain in the behind. I now use my scrapbooking paper cutter and it is so much easier.

The most I ever saved was $46. I am getting better though.

 

[PatMcDuck]

i have only seen the show once. But what completely confused me was them getting $$ back from coupons.

Here in NJ, not sure about elsewhere, you can only get credit for up to the cost of the item. So, for a 50 cent coupon, doubled on a 70 cent item, you only get 79 cents off, not $1. It seemed like they were getting $1 off a doubled 50 cent coupon, so at the end they were getting store gift cards to use on their next order? I was very baffled by this, unless I misunderstood?

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Our library has a coupon box I just noticed this week. People just dump their inserts into it and you can take what you want. I grabbed one insert that had a specific coupon I wanted. I could have taken 10 of them. But that's not my style.

Our library has a coupon exchange box too.
I can't figure out how the "extreme" couponers get all those coupons either. Between clipping coupons and getting internet coupons I'm thrilled to save $40 to $50 each week! I'm big into using the coupons for items that are already on sale.

 

[AnjieNet]

Shoot, I'm good to save $5 a week on couponing! Guess I'm just not devoted enough.

 

[RachaelA]

A neighbor was stealing the coupons out of our paper (and another neighbor's paper) every Sunday. That early bird DID catch the worm! Other neighbor confronted him very early one Sunday morning--he was so shocked he was speechless. His wife later brought goodie bags to us claiming she didn't know her husband was stealing the coupons. Did she think that she hit the lucky lottery every Sunday and got THREE of EVERY coupon?

My DH said your goodie bag was probably full of stuff that they bought with your coupons

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Many buy them and it is unfortunate that the amount they paid is NOT included in their totals.

Sure they may get their groceries free--but spending $200 on newspapers isn't quite free.

Don't forget that MOST spend part to a full time job (20-40 hours per week) with all this coupon sorting and pricing nonsense to get the job done. Not sure if it is just for their special shop on the episode...but it is overkill if you ask me if they do it regularly.